Earth Day Social Skills Lesson

On April 22 in my Autistic support classroom at St. Stephans Alternative

School. For Earth Day I had my students watch the video on “What is Community

Service” and have a class discussion on what community service is and why it is

important. I did this as a co-teachering lesson with the social skills teacher, who

helped lead the discussion.

Then for students to practice doing an act of community service students as

a class painted different rocks as bugs to hide on the playground. The rock-bugs

are hidden in the garden for the younger students in the school to have something

to seek and find during recess as an interactive activity for others. This lesson was

great for helping students do a small community service for their school and

developing professional skills. Students learned valuable skills they wouldn’t be able

to learn in a classroom. Examples of these skills include better communication,

teamwork, creativity, problem-solving, and time management. This project also

helps develop a sense of social awareness. They learn patience and empathy while

getting to see first-hand how they can have a positive impact on their local

community.